There are many occupations in which people work in dangerous environments. Working at great heights, for example, is a subset of those dangerous occupations. Some examples of such occupations are building construction, tree care, and exterior building maintenance. In addition to these dangerous occupations, many recreational activities involve working at dangerous heights, such as rock climbing and spelunking. Whenever a person is working or recreating at these heights, that person is at risk of falling.
Every year, people who work or recreate at dangerous heights fall and may suffer serious injury or death. Because of the risks, employers may provide fall-protection devices for their employees. People who recreate at dangerous heights often wear fall-protection devices as well. One purpose of these fall-protection devices is to safely arrest the fall of a person falling from a dangerous height, for example.
Fall-protection devices enable people to perform necessary work in today's building construction industry that absent that safety device few people would perform. These safety devices also permit the enjoyment of recreational activities that otherwise would be frightening. Therefore, improvements in these safety devices help save lives and improve the quality of life.